Lonely Harvest has you working on a farm harvesting grains, figuring out the best route to take each day to make the most of it. Also, you have a baby on the way.
You’ve just found out your partner is pregnant, which is wonderful news for you. The only kicker is that you’re starting a new life working a harvester every day, paying off your new home and life with your labor. You just need to be making enough that there’s still something left after you finish your work each month to make it worthwhile. To do that, you’ll have to carefully plan your route through the fields, maximizing every movement.
Your fields are made up of hexagonal tiles, and you’ll want to slide the harvester onto similar-colored tiles of grain to get bonuses. This means you need to watch what lies ahead so you don’t accidentally cut yourself off from a good spot. Worse, you can end up somewhere without any grain, wasting a precious turn. Getting something is always better than nothing while harvesting. If you’re a skilled harvester, you can buy items that boost your vehicle speed, its energy, and the value you get for each tile. These make a huge difference, but only if you’re working well enough to afford them.
Lonely Harvest was a quick, delightful game that engaged my tactical mind while also bringing me back to the busy times before the birth of my child. I could imagine what was going through the protagonist’s head – swirling questions, worries, joy – as they worked at their task. It’s a strangely specific moment, but this mixture of work, emotional whirlwinds, and tactics made for a vivid snapshot of my life not too long ago.
Lonely Harvest is playable for free on itch.io.
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Thank you so much for the lovely article! I’m so glad you enjoyed the game ^u^